Teeth.... and Discipleship.

They help us chew our food, which in turn allows our body to gain strength, build muscle, harden and strengthen bones, be healthy.

If we care for our teeth, we brush them, floss them, be careful not to eat too much junk, our teeth will last. But even if we do all of these things, there can still be problems. That’s where the dentist comes in.

A while back I had a piece of my tooth fall out. For a while I just tried to make it work. I ate on one side. I kept it clean. As time went on it began to hurt. I ignored it for a couple of days. I began to hurt more. I worked up the courage and went to see a dentist. I SO did not want to see a dentist. I SO did not want to see the dentist. Dentists do things that hurt. I was afraid. No wait… I was terrified.

He was good. He went in, froze the tooth, did some cleaning and put in a temporary filling. That was uncomfortable. He said we would wait and see what would happen. If there was pain, I was to go back in and they would do a root canal… There they were…. A heart-stopping couple of words…. Root Canal. He emphasized … “It’s expensive.” I was gripped with fear. I was sure I was going to have to endure the procedure.

Once the temp filling was in, I noticed every twinge of pain. I was sure that it was going to be the root canal. I found myself able to tolerate a little pain to avoid going back. Besides, how was I going to pay for the procedure? As a way of paying came up, I called and asked the price. $1000. Good thing I have dental coverage.

I booked the appointment and braced for the worst. I was convinced that I had a root canal on the way. I was telling everyone that. When I sat in the chair the endontist did some spelunking around in my tooth and said that he was just going to fill it. Phew! Don’t get me wrong. I wasn’t easy. The dentist was good though. Very gentle. Consoling. Sympathetic. I had one of those epiphany moments.

I was in the chair because of how I had neglected my teeth over the years where my dental coverage was sporadic. It was sort of how some people live their Christian life. They coast. They went to the altar once when they were young, but never allowed it to change how they lived their life in a moral and spiritual sense. Often those are the kids of “Christians” that drift away for a while and indulge in stuff that they know is wrong. Some people even end up in a very dark place because of their choices. Sometimes it takes God going in like a dentist and fixing the damage. We have to make the appointment, and it may still hurt, but in the end God allows it to make us stronger. We may have to give some things up that caused the damage. We may have to get ourselves back into a cycle of maintenance of our faith. That is why the Bible says to examine yourself daily to see if you are in the faith. It says to be faithful with the little things. It says to think of the things that are excellent or praiseworthy.

Discipleship takes discipline. Work at your faith daily.

9/11 and the Truth...

With 9/11 having come and gone for another year, I have been watching a lot of the specials on TV where people sit and debate as to what actually happened on the day. Most of us just seem to think that it was just as we saw. A group of terrorists hijacked some planes and ran them into the Twin Towers in New York City. Another plane crashed into the Pentagon and a fourth crashed just outside of Virginia. All the evidence and witnesses seem to point in this direction as well. Several higher institutions have done examinations of the events with the blueprints of the buildings and specs of the panes involved, and what happened as we saw it on that day (and in my humble opinion) seems to be very plausible.

Most of what the “truthers” (I don’t get to see why they get to have truth attached to their name) seem to do is argue from lack of evidence. They tend to be George W. Bush haters. They use all kinds of argumentative fallacies. Just in general, they are really disrespectful of the fact that people lost loved ones in the attacks of 9/11. There are always groups of them yelling and harassing people at the memorial ceremonies.

The best of the theories that just had me stunned that they actually considered this was that all of the three planes that hit the buildings were replaced by empty planes at some point during the flight, while the real planes landed at a secret airbase. All of the people that were on those flights were put on Flight 93 which was eventually shot down by the US government. An NO ONE HAS SAID ANYTHING IN ALL OF THIS TIME.

Piece by piece, these people had demonstrations and explanations of the science and all the data was shown to them and each time it was like the covered their eyes and said, “I just don’t see how that could have happened.”

Arguing from lack of evidence… They say something like, “There was no video taped record of such and such, and so it must have not happened the way we think it did.” They set themselves up a false dichotomy. They try to make it seem like there are only two possible explanations for the way something happened. When often there are several, and some of them are even plausible.

I have seen these people argue a slippery slope as well. They go from pointing out a small detail to the position that the whole government is corrupt and obviously out to get us in the blink of an eye. I guess it just reveals their real intent. They hate George W. He could have made the whole world be at peace, and all wars stop and they would still hate him.

Ok, so now, why all of this? I thought about how these people seemed to want to hear nothing that could discredit their view of what they believe happened on 9/11. Is that how I am with my faith? I believe some things that many people find strange. Is what I believe based on the evidence? Or is it based on my emotions? Or is it based on some hatred? These were tough questions for me to look at. I really had to examine myself. I have spent many years looking into the reliability of the Bible. I do not want to believe something that is not true. Even though there is still a lot of evidence, there is still an aspect of faith. As one preacher puts it, “Even if we were there, we would have to take Mary’s word at the virgin birth.” There seems to be a strong amount of evidence to support what the Bible teaches.

I guess the biggest difference for me is that I do let my faith get tested. I have held up what I believe against ideas that oppose the Bible. I let the Bible filter it through and see what is left on the other side. If the Bible is not true, then there will be nothing left. If it is true, it will stand in the end. That is one of the claims from within its pages. People have scrutinized the Bible for centuries and the people have come and gone. The Bible has lasted. People’s lives have been changed. Even when people try to rewrite it (ie: The DaVinci Code, The Last Temptation of Christ), the Bible stands. When people claim that God is dead, and they die, the Bible still stands.

My one concern is that I always test everything that is being said to me. The Bible has stood in my life to this point.

Employed by the Church

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Matthew 6:19-21

Sometimes there is a bit of a line that is blurred between work where you get paid now, and work where you will be paid in heaven. There is also a difference between volunteer work and ministry. There is a difference between Sunday School and babysitting as well. In that last one, it is usually a choice.

Think about this for a second. Most people go to work , and they know what is required of them. They have a start time and an end time. There are times where they need to be at their post, and allotted times for breaks and lunch. If you’re not where you’re supposed to be, usually there will be a managerial type that mentions it. If you keep ignoring your guidelines, there may be some sort of disciplinary action.

At work, if I just don’t show up, I’ll lose my job. If I can’t be there for some reason, I am required to call and let my manager know. If I no longer want my job, I try to give a customary grace period to allow someone to come in and replace me.

Recently at work, the dress code policy was reiterated. It outlined what clothing was appropriate to wear in the workplace: nothing that was worn out or torn, nothing that is revealing or immodest, and nothing that is unsafe or too casual for my position. I am representing my division. If I worked in certain areas of my building I would have to wear appropriate protective footwear or a hardhat.

Also, at work, there are things that people can talk about, and that are appropriate to talk about. People are supposed to keep focused on their job and save personal talk for their breaks.

Now, let’s step back for a minute. What if people treated their work that they do in the church the way someone with a strong work ethic does? What if people showed up on time and were prepared for their job? What if they stayed focused on their work while they were on duty in the church? What if people just showed up to do the job that they had agreed to do? If for some reason they could not be there, what if they called to let someone know that they could not be there, and they took responsibility for their work… no, for their ministry. And what if they took a few moments to think about dressing for the job that they were going to be doing? And what if they kept their personal issues away from those around them, until the time is appropriate (ie: you are not on duty)? What about coming in with a positive attitude and a prayerful focus for the time serving in the church? Can you imagine how differently the church would run? Can you see how well it would run?

That’s the difference. In a church, it’s not just volunteer work. It is MINISTRY…. No matter where you are serving. It is worship. It is about serving God and others.

If you’re in nursery, you pray for the babies, and you serve the parents by allowing them to be fed. You give the kids a place to be loved. You may not see what they live in at home.

What if you are doing cleaning? You serve the pastor. You serve your brothers and sisters. You help keep people safe and healthy. You have the opportunity spend some time praying in the church.

Ministry also helps you grow in your faith. Challenging times…. Times that test your faith and your resolve do not happen when you are focused on God or in prayer or worship. What about the times where a kid tries your patience? What about the other sacrifices you make to serve? Have you ever been challenged when you are not expecting to be tested? Too many people shy away from ministry opportunities because of people or situations that they find hard. That is the time to focus on why you are there, and dig in and love God and love people. More of God. Less of you.

Imagine a church like that?